May 3 – On Monday, BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi will address a rally in Amethi, the constituency represented by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. And as NaMo (Narendra Modi) takes the battle right into the heart of the Gandhi bastion, the Congress has swung into action.
The buzz is that one of the Gandhis will reach Varanasi as a retaliatory measure. The Congress high-command has reportedly agreed to provide the top-notch reinforcement to Ajay Rai, the Congress candidate from Varanasi who is contesting against Modi. The holy city goes to the polls on May 12.
Modi will address the rally in Amethi on May 5, the last day of campaigning for the eighth phase of polling on May 7.
Amit Shah in Amethi to prepare Modi rally
Modi’s close aide and BJP general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah, held a meeting of his party workers in Amethi on Friday and asked them to make the rally a huge success.
“Shah told us that Modi would address a rally here on Monday. We are expected to ensure that there are two lakh people at the rally,” said Govind Singh, a local BJP leader.
Govind Narayan Shukla, convener of the BJP in Amethi, said, “We are excited about this rally as it can enormously boost campaign of our candidate Smriti Irani.”
Meanwhile, sources in the Congress party told MAIL TODAY that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has agreed to send many senior leaders to Varanasi, including her son and party vicepresident Rahul Gandhi to hold a roadshow for Rai.
Despite Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying she would not campaign in Varanasi, Congress candidate Rai was quoted as asking his supporters in a meeting on Friday to get ready to welcome her any day between May 7 and May 9. “Rai has promised a roadshow bigger than Modi’s, if Priyanka or Rahul visits the city. He has also requested to send External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and chairman of SC/ST commission P.L. Punia to woo the Muslim and the SC voters,” said a senior Congress leader.
Praja Nath Sharma, Varanasi District Congress Committee president told MAIL TODAY that while it was almost 
decided that someone from the Gandhi-Nehru family would campaign for Rai, the party high command has yet to finalise who would be there.
“I had sought Sonia, Rahul or Priyanka’s programmes in Varanasi. Senior party leader Mukul Wasnik and party-incharge of UP Avinash Pandey held a meeting on Friday in this regard. Although a final decision would be taken in Delhi, we hope that their programmes would be released in two to three days,” said Sharma.
Rai had also requested Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad schedule a programme of any of the three members of the Gandhi-Nehru family. But he had not given any conclusive reply at that time. However, Azad had convinced Quami Ekta Dal (QED) president Afzal Ansari to change sides and support Rai.
When asked about the Congress’s plan, BJP zonal president Laxman Acharjee said, “We welcome them to the temple town to taste their potential. There is Modi all over in this election because the people are fed up of this family.”
Meanwhile, the bitterness between the Gandhi-Nehru family and Modi is worsening. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in Amethi on Friday that there were leaders who have been seeking strength for themselves only.
“There is a leader who is repeatedly asking you to strengthen him. He wants power for himself,” Priyanka said at a nukkad meeting. Calling her father and former PM Rajiv Gandhi a visionary, she said, “He had planned the development of the area. There were barren lands here. But now there is greenery everywhere because of his vision.”
Photos: EPA
